Automobiles are provided with a rear load floor on which cargo can be carried. For vehicles commonly referred to as sport utility vehicles (SUV) and vehicles commonly referred to minivans, the load floor is positioned behind the seating area and is accessible through a rear door that is pivotally supported from the frame of the vehicle. In such vehicles, the spare tire is typically supported from the vehicle frame below the chassis so that the spare tire is accessible from the exterior of the vehicle beneath the cargo area.
Typically, the level of the load floor is generally coextensive with the floor of the seating area of the vehicle and is positioned substantially at the level of the rear door opening. Such an arrangement provides opportunity to create hidden cargo storage areas beneath the level of the load floor. These hidden cargo storage areas are usually provided with a covering, which can be hinged to permit the use of a latch and even a lock to provide some security for the contents of the storage area.
An example of a hidden storage area formed in the rear load floor of a vehicle having a rear access door can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,773, issued to Joseph Salani on Nov. 19, 2002, in which a pair of transversely disposed hidden storage areas is formed with hinged lids that can be latched in place. These dual hidden storage areas cover the entire load floor area and can be accessed independently through the individual hinged lids. When the lids are latched into a closed position, the recessed storage wells are hidden from sight with the closed lids forming the rear load floor.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,873, issued to Jason Baldas on Oct. 30, 2001, the storage apparatus is positionable above the load floor and is formed by pivoted panels that define the storage area when oriented in an upright manner. A track supported on the load floor allows the storage apparatus to be moved longitudinally through the opening created by the opened rear door.
Recessed wells have been formed in load floors to store spare tires, as well as to provide cargo storage, as is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,890, issued to Johnny Cooper on Jun. 10, 1997, where the retrofitted storage compartment is fitted with a removable lid to provide a wet trunk capability. Supplemental storage compartments are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,502,886, issued to John Bleau on Jan. 7, 2003, in which a multi-compartment supplemental storage apparatus is mounted on top of the spare tire recessed well, and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,277, issued to David Spykerman on Sep. 18, 2001, in which the supplemental storage compartment is associated with a folding seat apparatus.
Even pick-up trucks can be equipped with a recessed storage trunk positioned below the normal level of the load surface of the pick-up cargo bed, as is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,277, issued on Oct. 29, 2002, to Brian Scensay, et al. The pivotally movable lid of the Scensay patent forms the load surface of the pick-up cargo bed when closed, and provides access to the recessed storage truck when opened. U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,100, issued to Harold K. Sperlich on Jul. 19, 1983, teaches the use of a standard sheet of plywood to form a secondary load floor above the primary load floor surface to define a covered security area between the primary and secondary load floors.
A cargo storage area formed by a recessed well below the normal load floor level can be referred to as a wet trunk as the recessed well can receive wet articles, such as bathing suits, cold drinks, ice, etc., that would otherwise dampen the carpet covering on the rear load floor. None of these cargo storage solutions provide a wet trunk in which a drain has been incorporated to enhance the clean-out capabilities of the wet trunk apparatus. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a wet trunk structure that would facilitate clean-up of the recessed storage area.